Enhancing Science Partnerships for Innovation and Sustainable Development

Thirteen young students from South Africa and Namibia, all of them scholarship students from the research programme SPACES (Sciences Partnership for the Assessment of Complex Earth System Processes), are currently studying in special Masters degree programmes in Bremen, Cottbus, Greifswald and Kiel. Now the DAAD has announced the closing date for applications to receive a Ph.D. student scholarship.

Aspiring Ph.D. students in the subject areas of environmental sciences, landscape ecology, geology and oceanography have until 30 September 2012 to submit their application documents to the DAAD if they are interested in a four-year doctorate sponsorship in Germany in the thematic field of "Earth System Management". The educational programme includes a four-month German course which will be completed before the research activities commence. The future scholarship students will be chosen by a selection committee consisting of German scientists, which will also have the task of ascertaining which German research institutions are the most suitable for the applicants. The scholarship is an outstanding example of the efforts being made to advance human capital development in the target countries in order to tackle the future challenges posed by global change. "Human capital development" is the topic of the month for August in the German-South African Science Year 2012/2013 (www.german-southafrican-scienceyear.co.za).

The accompanying scholarship programme "SPACES Scholarships for Post Graduate Studies in Germany", which is being run by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), aims to supplement the research activities with specialised education and training for up-and-coming scientists in Namibia and South Africa. SPACES is financed with funds from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). It observes and analyses the reciprocal effects between the land and the sea and between the biosphere and the atmosphere in order to gain insights into the climate-related and man-made effects on the environment and to derive practical recommendations from its findings.

For more information about the Ph.D. scholarship programme, please go to: www.daad.de/deutschland/foerderung/ausschreibungen/21150.en.html